Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Friday; Blue Mountain Coffee Festival; Jamaica v Mexico; Clovis Toon; Breaking News and more

Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Friday, March 24, 2023 Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival this weekend The [Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival]( will be held on Saturday at the Newcastle Parade Grounds in St Andrew, beginning at 10:00 am. The festival, according to the Ministry of Tourism, is the Caribbean's premier coffee festival, providing an immersive experience from farm to cup (and plate) while demonstrating the country's rich tradition of coffee production from the Blue Mountain region. It features Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee and coffee-related products, food stalls, and tastings in a central location. 66 JPs to be commissioned in Clarendon Sixty-six Justices of the Peace (JPs) designates from Clarendon are to be [commissioned as JPs]( during a ceremony scheduled for today at the Wembley Centre of Excellence located on Cornpiece Road, Hayes in the parish . The ceremony is scheduled to get underway at 11:00 am. The JPs will join the growing number of Jamaicans who have been trained to assist with the provision of justice services at the community level. Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck will deliver remarks, so too the Custos of Clarendon, William Shagoury. PM to address launch of National Service Corps’ Residential Camps Prime Minister Andrew Holness will address today’s launch of the National Service Corps’ Residential Camps. The launch will take place at 10:00 am during a ceremony at the AC Marriot Hotel in New Kingston. The [National Service Corps]( is a year-long comprehensive, integrated and sequential development process of education, training, experience, and self-development. It provides a continuous learning environment to develop and enhance the capabilities of programme participants. Advertisement Reggae Boyz prepare ahead of Mexico clash at Azteca Jamaica's Reggae Boyz will stage another training session today at the Catherine Hall Stadium in St James ahead of their crucial [Concacaf Nations League clash against Mexico]( at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on Sunday. The session will be open to the media on Friday morning for 30 minutes starting at 9:00am. Players and staff will be available to the press, according to the Jamaica Football Federation. Jamaica will need to beat Mexico to advance to the Concacaf Nations League semi-finals, which will take place in Las Vegas in June. Mexico lead the group with seven points after three games, two more than Jamaica. Suriname are last, on one point. US told to respect Ugandan sovereignty over anti-gay bill A Ugandan MP who voted in favour of a [bill that targets homosexual people]( has told the BBC that if the US withdrew funding in protest it would amount to "modern genocide". The US government has said there could be repercussions should the measure be signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni. Responding to the US criticism of the bill passed by MPs on Tuesday, Dr Ayume said that Uganda's sovereignty should be respected. He added that there were things he objected to in the US, but he did not want to interfere in the politics of that country. According to the bill, people who identify as gay in Uganda risk life in prison. It also includes the death penalty in certain cases. ICYMI: WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING WATCH: Tommy Lee Sparta released from prison Dancehall artiste Tommy Lee Sparta has been [released from prison](. Dr Phylicia Ricketts, pioneering scientist and former PM Youth awardee, has died Dr Phylicia Ricketts, a pioneering Jamaican scientist and Prime Minister’s National Youth Award recipient, [has died](. A fish can sense another’s fear, study shows Our capacity to care about others may have very, very ancient origins, a [new study suggests](. CLOVIS TOON TODAY IN HISTORY Exxon Valdez oil spill On this day in 1989, the supertanker Exxon Valdez (vahl-DEEZ) ran aground on a reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound and began leaking an estimated 11 million gallons of crude oil. For more stories, visit our website at www.jamaicaobserver.com or [sign up for our e-paper](. [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Website]( Copyright © 2023 Jamaica Observer, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 40 - 42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue Kingston 5 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.